Sailor Moon Neo-Stars: My Child of Time
by Crystalmoon.Silverlight
Summary: Sailor Pluto has a son? Where did he come from? More importantly, who is the father? Will this unexpected disturbance finally bring love to the mysterious senshi of time? Can two children, lost in time, find a new home in the 20th century? Look within to find out!
1. Chapter 1: End of Time

**Sailor Moon Neo-Stars: My Child of Time **

**Short Summary:** Sailor Pluto has a son? Where did he come from? More importantly, who is the father? Will this unexpected disturbance finally bring love to the mysterious senshi of time? Can two children, lost in time, find a new home in the 20th century? Look within to find out!

**Author's Notes: **Neo-Stars or "New Stars" is what I call all of my fanfics that take in the era place post-Galaxia (after the anime and manga end) and pre- or early- Crystal Tokyo. I was going to hold off working on this fic until after I finished "My Shitennou," but I found that a lot of people were interested in baby Takeshi, where he came from, and (more specifically) who his Daddy is. Pluto's partner will get a cameo and maybe a small part in "My Shitennou" but this fic will both introduce him as an OC, explore some Setsuna romance, as well as some Haruka/Michiru romance, and some hints as to how I pictures the events leading up to Crystal Tokyo as having gone done… from the POV of the Outer Planetary Senshi. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 1: The End of Time **

Murmuring softly, Kaioh Michiru shifted in her sleep pulling the covers tighter around her lithe body. The movement caused the woman next to her to open her eyes blearily. The aqua-haired beauty had been shifting a lot that night, causing her partner to wonder what it was that disturbed her sleep so. Gently, she tightened her grip around Michiru's middle, pulling her closer to offer her comfort, without going so far as to wake her up. The gesture seemed to do some good, for Michiru settled into the embrace and grew still once more. Sighing softly, Haruka shut her eyes once more, drifting back into the wonderful world of peaceful sleep…

* * *

**Crystal Tokyo, Year Unknown **

Sailor Neptune opened her eyes to find herself in a city she didn't recognize although certain features of it were familiar. It looked a lot like Tokyo except that most of the buildings were built out of some kind of crystal. It was the sight at the center of the city, however, that gave some idea what destination she had arrived up. There, right in the middle of it all, stood a large palace made entirely of white crystal. It sounded similar to something the Inner Senshi had once described as having seen. Was this the future? She certainly hoped not… for it was rather bleak.

The sky above her was dark and foreboding, darkness and shadow stretching as far as the eye could see. The once beautiful buildings held damage that told of fearsome battle. Debris of all sorts scattered the empty streets and sidewalks. Not a single living soul walked the streets of the all-but-forgotten city… just her. With no particular destination in mind, she walked ahead, examining her surroundings for signs of life. The silence closing in around her was… anything but golden. It was eerie. The whole city felt and smelled like death, like walking in a graveyard. The senshi of the ocean had just about reached the crystal palace in the center of the city when a sound finally crossed her ears, a voice.

"You came; I hoped you would." Neptune looked up to see a senshi she did not recognize appear in front of her. The style of her uniform was similar to that of the Sailor Senshi, however, a white based with a dark red uniform and black highlight, similar to Pluto's actually, only the coloring was backwards. She had the same dark, forest-green hair, though she styled it differently, and her sad, uncertain green eyes stood out in stark contrast to Pluto's wise amber-colored ones. In her right hand, she held an item the senshi of Neptune couldn't help but recognize… the time staff of Sailor Pluto. Without introduction or further explanation, the senshi who must have been around the same age as Sailor Pluto – in appearance anyway – used the staff to point around the side of the palace. "She went that way…"

"She…?" Neptune was confused, the expression in her deep blue eyes saying as much.

"Sailor Pluto… that *is* who you are looking for, yes? She went that way." Again, the unfamiliar senshi pointed with her staff, leading the perplexed ocean senshi to follow her gaze in that direction. By the time she looked back, the senshi that had directed her was gone. Another sound came into Neptune's hearing range… sounds of battle. Taking off at a run, she hurried around the palace towards the battle sounds that drew her. Pluto, the senshi that had become almost like a sister to her, might very well be in some kind of serious danger.

Coming around closer to the battle itself, Neptune was brought up short by the sight that greeted her. She had seen many battlefields in her present lifetime, but none quite matched the sight set in front of her. The bodies of soldiers – both men and women – lay scattered across the ground. It was the females, however, the senshi that drew her. Many of the faces were as-yet unfamiliar to her, but a number of them she *did* recognize. Kneeling down next to a golden-haired senshi, she turned the body over gently to verify… she was right. It was Sailor Venus… the last time she had seen bodies scattered this way had been the day the Silver Millennium fell. She had hoped she would never again see similar. She looked up as sounds of battle reached her ear once more.

Rising to her feet, she scanned the area once more. There were a lot of bodies around but none of them seemed to belong to Pluto… or Uranus, thank God. Quickly, she hurried off again in the direction of the battle. Around the back side of the crystalline palace, the battle finally came into view. A gasp escaped Neptune's lips as she saw… herself and Uranus together get blasted by a senshi in a solid black senshi uniform. It was odd watching what she assumed to be her future-self die in an instant. Somewhat out of character, she did not attempt to join them in battle. Somehow, she knew… it was not yet her time, not yet her battle….

The energy coming off of the stranger was like nothing she had felt before, but somehow, from somewhere in the back of her mind, a name came to her. It was Sailor Chaos, and... she stood there laughing while Saturn cried out in despair over the deaths of two of her three parents. Only she and Pluto remained standing. Tears in her eyes, the adult Saturn rose up her silence glaive intent on ending everything… if only it would bring end to this monster. The glaive came down swiftly and smoothly… only to, amazingly… be stopped before it hit the ground.

Before the woman could even complete her final attack, Chaos sent out another blast; finishing off the most powerful of the senshi in but a single well-aimed attack. The scene lapsed into a deathly silence… all save for a single, muted cry… something like that of an infant. Neptune heard the sound from somewhere to the right of her. Her head turned just right about the time things began to slow… slow… slow to a dead stop. She had experienced this only once before, when Sailor Pluto had stopped time to save herself and Uranus from certain death.

Sure enough, the senshi of time had used her most powerful attack to stop time where it stood. As time stood still, Pluto approached in Neptune's direction. At first, it seemed as though she would approach Neptune herself; however, her gaze was focused out beyond the out-of-place ocean senshi. In fact, she did not even seem to notice her at all. With naught else to do, Neptune followed Pluto back to where the bodies of the soldiers had fallen… saw her approach one of the men. He was laid face-down, curled up in such a way that his body protected something beneath.

"Takeshi…" Tears in her eyes, Pluto pushed the body aside to reveal what lay hidden beneath. Somehow, someway, a tiny infant no more than perhaps a year and some odd months of age, had survived the carnage that took the lives of so many others. Swaddled loosely in a blanket, the child gasped in deep breaths of air as the heavy body was pushed off of him. His tiny body, what could be seen of it, held a number of cuts and bruises… likely having been obtained earlier in the battle. "Takeshi. It's alright… Mama has you. Here…"

Hushing the sobbing male child as best she could, Pluto wrapped him gently, protectively in her arms. She stood back to her feet, child in one arm… staff in the other. Slowly… slowly… time began to move again. The guardian of time looked ahead to see a new figure entering the battlefield, Sailor Cosmos. A smile crossed her lips as the senshi glanced back to give her a look of understanding before going to stand against that personification of evil, Sailor Chaos. With a wave of her staff, Pluto created what appeared to be some kind of black hole… or warp hole. Turning her back on the battle, she escaped through it… her young son still cradled in her arms.

* * *

**Tokyo, Japan, Year 1997 **

Kaioh Michiru sat up in bed with a start, arousing her partner for what had to be the fourth time that night. "Michi-chan?" Haruka mumbled with a long yawn. Sitting up in bed, she rubbed her eyes blearily and reached over to place a gentle hand upon her partner's arm. "You have been shifting around all night long. What's wrong?" With her hand, she rubbed lightly up and down the other woman's arm, hoping to offer some comfort for… whatever it was that disturbed her.

"I saw…" Michiru trailed off with an intake of breath. Briefly, it had to occur to her that she may as yet still be sleeping, as the black warp hole that appeared in front of her looked much like the one she had just seen the future Pluto and her son disappear through. "Pluto." She could feel Haruka's grip tighten protectively around her shoulders before a battle weary Pluto stepped through with a precious bundle wrapped in her arms and the warp-hole closed behind them.

Disengaging from the bedcovers, the two women approached their friend and fellow senshi quickly. Haruka caught her by the arms just as she made to collapse, assisting her as she dropped down to her knees there on the floor. She had the appearance of just having escaped a serious battle, and the bundle in her arms also had signs of having seen battle. He was mildly scratched and bruised and was letting out soft, repetitive, frightened cries something akin to, "Aah.. aah… aah...aah…" and clinging tightly to the front of the time senshi's uniform.

Knelt down beside the other two, Michiru placed a comforting hand on her psedo-sister's shoulder. "Pluto…" There was sadness in her tone as she realized what all this meant. "You stopped time again… you…" Tears pressed at the edge of her vision as she watched the senshi before her waning right before their eyes.

"You…what?!" Haruka was shocked, not to say more than a bit upset by the news. Stopping time held serious consequences for the time senshi. It cost her, her life. No matter what they did for her, the senshi of time was going to die that night. It couldn't be helped.

Pluto smiled, somewhat relieved that the pair had figured things out on their own. It saved her having to try and use her voice to explain it herself. "Take… the baby," she implored, urging the infant over into Michiru's arms while her own still held the strength not to lose grip on him. As it was, Haruka's firm grip on her arms was the only thing keeping her in the upright position.

The babe protested, its weak cries becoming more insistent as it was removed from the safety of its mother's embrace. He started to kick and squirm against Michiru's more-powerful grip.

Pluto's gaze followed her child. One hand reached up to grip Haruka's arm and further stability herself, the other reaching over to rub across the infant's forehead. As she did so, a symbol lit upon his forehead… the forest-green emblem of Pluto's home planet. "Takeshi…" Feeling convinced of the babe's safety, the senshi of the future gave up the spirit. The light faded from her eyes and the senshi collapsed there, having completed what she had set out to do.

Haruka pulled the woman closer as she fell, cradling the body in her arms until she faded from existence. Her breath came in sharp and ragged, almost as if she had been out running, as she all of sudden found her arms empty. Tears attempting to escape, Haruka looked to her partner, still clutching the protesting babe in her arms. Realizing his mother was no longer with him, the babe increased the volume on its cry, its weak murmurings forming into a single word. "Mama…!"

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Yeah, I know. I am mean for stopping there. My chapters are usually twice this long. I stop writing after I reach 5,000+ words and get to a decent wrapping up point, before moving on the next chapter. Also, I don't usually specialize in 'darker' writing, but I think I like how this turned out. I am trying to further my writing skills here, so… let me know what you think. Would you be interested in seeing more of this written out in the near future? =)


	2. Chapter 2: Not 'Taru

**Sailor Moon Neo-Stars: My Child of Time **

**Short Summary:** Sailor Pluto has a son? Where did he come from? More importantly, who is the father? Will this unexpected disturbance finally bring love to the mysterious senshi of time? Can two children, lost in time, find a new home in the 20th century? Look within to find out!

**Author's Notes: **Neo-Stars or "New Stars" is what I call all of my fanfics that take place in the era post-Galaxia (after the anime and manga end) and pre- or early- Crystal Tokyo.

* * *

**Chapter 2: Not 'Taru**

Opening the door to the bedroom, a familiar figure took in the curious scene before her. Michiru held a squirming bundle of blankets close to her chest, while Haruka was still trying to hold onto something that was no longer there to hold. The blonde was apparently surprised to see her, the expression on her face one of both sorrow and confusion. Just moments ago she had seen… and now she was… Setsuna came further into the room. Kneeling down, she placed a single hand on Haruka's arm to comfort her, while using the other to rub lightly over the child's forehead… much the way her future-self had only moments before. "Takeshi…?" she guessed.

"Mama!" The babe struggled harder against Michiru's grip, his little arms reaching out eagerly for the woman in front of him. His mother's disappearing and reappearing act didn't faze him in the slightest; in fact, that was something he had already gotten used to being raised with the guardian of time as his mother. "Mama, mama….!"

"She… came from the future." Michiru explained softly, her heart still pounding from the unexpected encounter, as Setsuna lifted the babe over gently into her arms, "and…"

"And she isn't coming back for him." Setsuna, of course, knew of Takeshi's presence in the future already, but he was an adult in that period. She knew little to nothing of his childhood or how or when exactly he had come into her life. Needless to say, this was not how she had expected to meet her son for the first time. Her garnet-colored eyes studied the babe in her arms as the symbol faded from his brow and he pressed himself as close to his mother's chest as possible, grasping the front of her shirt as though to ensure she would, in fact, stay with him.

"No." Michiru answered her, although the question had really been rhetorical.

"I-I think we still have Hotaru's old stuff stored away someplace," Haruka suggested, getting to her feet and helping Michiru and Setsuna to do the same. "Although… the clothing may be a bit small for him… and he might be a bit offended if we dressed him up like a little girl." She grinned a little in amusement as the babe began to settle down in his mother's arms.

"We will have to go shopping then." Michiru smiled, remembering fondly how much fun, especially she and Setsuna had had shopping for Hotaru when she had been an infant. They still had Hotaru's old crib and things, but clothes and diapers and other such things would be needed. Reaching over, she took hold of one of baby Takeshi's hands, stroking the back with a thumb.

Supporting the baby gently up against her chest, Setsuna gently unwound the blankets still tied up around him. The child grumbled a little tightening his grip on the front of Setsuna's blouse, afraid that he might end up separated from her once again. His clinginess made undressing him a bit more difficult, but with a little assistance from the others, Setsuna managed it. The wounds he had all appeared superficial, scrapes and bruises one might expect from a child that had narrowly escaped a battlefield. And, although terrified, he clearly was not in a huge amount of pain. Still . . . . "He needs to see a doctor," Setsuna observed with a frown, looking him over.

Haruka suppressed a building yawn. Already her body was regretting the interrupted sleep, but she was not going to get back to bed tonight… er… this morning. "I'm going to hop in the shower. That diaper there isn't going to last long… and he'll be hungry before you know it too."

"He has to be over a year old," Michiru guessed, looking him over and trying to compare him to Hotaru at that age… although… they hadn't been 100% sure on Hotaru's exact age as an infant either. "I am sure we can make something he will be able eat before we leave." While Haruka hoped in the shower, Michiru and Setsuna headed downstairs to see what they could get for an early breakfast for themselves and baby Takeshi.

* * *

Mizuno Seiko, pediatrician and mother of the young genius, Mizuno Ami, was finishing up some paperwork in her office at Tokyo General Hospital when a knock on the door alerted her that she was needed. Without looking up from what she was doing, the middle-aged doctor called out to her visitor, "Come in." It wasn't until she heard the voice that she looked up.

"Mom?"

"Ami? I didn't think you were volunteering today." Seiko remarked for she was pretty good at keeping up with schedules. She had to be what with the busy one she typically kept. Looking up, the mother-of-one studied her daughter's face. "Something is wrong," she guessed.

"Not 'wrong' per say; it's just…" Ami clicked the door shut, coming further into the room.

"Senshi business." Seiko put down her pen and turned to give her daughter her full attention. "I know you cannot tell me much, Ami, but I do wish you would let me know when you start fighting someone new… so I can be prepared for it. Is someone hurt?"

"There is no enemy, Mom, but someone 'is' hurt and you are the only one who knows enough to be able to help. I am not sure we could explain the injuries otherwise." Ami explained, for she had divulged the truth of her identity to her mother some years ago. Though her own knowledge of first aid and such had gotten the senshi through many scraps, there was always the possibility of one or more of them needing a *real* doctor down the road and Ami was not a doctor… yet. Also, despite being busy, Seiko was observant, especially where it came to her one and only child, and her daughter's disappearing acts would not have gone unnoticed for very long.

"I see…" Seiko slipped her paperwork off her desk and back into a locked drawer before following her daughter out of the room. "Alright, where is your friend now? Who am I seeing?"

"They are sitting out in the waiting room. His name is Meioh Takeshi… and his mother, Setsuna, and… ah, Aunt Michiru I suppose." Ami wasn't really 100% sure how the outer senshi intended on clarifying the relationships they had created in their little family, but this sounded right to her.

Dr. Mizuno paused at this, looking back at her daughter. "A child?"

"An infant, actually."

"I… see…" The doctor frowned, but nevertheless led Ami to a small room furnished with an observation table, a couple of chairs, and a place for the doctor herself to sit, along with various magazines and health posters and the like. "Wait here; I will go and get your friends." Heading out towards the front waiting room, she opened the door and called out in that neutral tone doctors and nurses always seem to use when they do these things, "Meioh…Takeshi?"

A pretty young woman with dark green hair and mysterious, garnet-colored eyes rose to her feet with a small bundle wrapped up in a blanket and held close to her chest. Next to her rose a second woman, this one slightly shorter with aquamarine-colored locks that fell in waves down to about her shoulders and a peaceful expression despite whatever might be going on around her. They followed the doctor back through the halls and into the room where Ami was waiting.

Once the door was shut behind them and all had found a seat, Dr. Mizuno turned her attention to the "parents" and child in front of her. As Setsuna removed the blanket from about his head, it was easy to see that she must be the mother for he had her dark hair and her nose. And also, the child quite clung to her as though his very life depended on the act. His little body shivered nervously as his green eyes scanned the room vigilantly for trouble, gave the doctor a nervous look over, and then closed as he buried his face into his mother's chest and clung even tighter.

After observing the child briefly, the doctor could see why it would have been impossible to take the child to anyone else. The frightened look in the child's eyes went beyond mere separation anxiety and what she could see of his arms had more bruises than what could be written off as the perils of trying to keep a mobile infant out of trouble. Giving his mother a smile, she introduced herself, "I do not believe we have met; I am Dr. Mizuno Seiko, Ami's mother. I do understand there are things you may not be able to share, but if I am going to help, I do need to know what happened to… Takeshi, is it?"

"It is nice to meet you, doctor." Setsuna greeted, glad she had thought to go to Ami with this problem. It would make explaining her son's condition much easier if did not have to make up an excuse for his present appearance. Gently, she worked on unwinding the blanket they were using partly to keep the shivering child warm and partly just to hide his appearance from curious eyes. After all, it was hard not to notice a bruised-up child. "The thing is, we do not know 'exactly' what happened to him. He was brought back from the future."

"Hmm… like the pink-haired girl… the Chibi-one."

"Chibiusa," Ami filled in the name for her. Her mother had met Chibiusa but not as a doctor. She had seen the girl in passing, however, and was aware that she was from the future, though not exactly how and where she fit in, "It is something like that, only… I do not believe Takeshi will be going 'back' to the future." Ami looked back to Setsuna and Michiru questioningly.

It was Michiru that spoke up here. "No." The dream and events of that morning still fresh in her mind, she could remember the sight of the future Pluto pulling her son out from beneath a man's limp body, the sight of the senshi dying in Haruka's arms… she had to force the thoughts away. "His parents died in battle in the future; we believe that is where Takeshi got hurt, while his parents..." Her voice cracked a little and Setsuna reached over to place a comforting hand on her arm. "…tried to protect him." Reaching over, Michiru tried to help Setsuna finish getting Takeshi out of the blankets and undressed so the doctor could see where all the problems were.

The babe, unfortunately, had NO intention of making this task easy and was, in fact, doing everything in his power to sabotage them. This could be seen quite clearly when Michiru had to disconnect his hand from Setsuna's shirt in order to pull it out of the sleeve. The child jerked his arm out of her grasp with a stubborn, yet resounding, "NO!" as he crinkled his nose and latched back to his mother. Finally, however, the child was undressed save for a clean diaper and at least turned to the side so that the doctor could check him over without completely removing him from Setsuna's arms, which clearly would have caused a catastrophic meltdown.

"Oh my, you did get banged up, didn't you?" Dr. Mizuno observed as she looked him over as gently as possible. At least, once he decided the doctor **didn't** intend on separating him from Setsuna, Takeshi settled down to watch her work. There were a number of scrapes, though they had already been cleaned and taken care of and none required actual bandages. Besides that were the bruises, most of which were quite light, indicating they had been obtained rather recently, within the last few hours at best. They would probably look worse before they looked better.

Only one looked to be a bit older, a small bruise on the side of his forehead, "And what happened here? You look like you ran into a table." Dr. Mizuno observed.

"Owie," Takeshi answered as she pointed to it. "My owie."

"So, you _can_ talk."

"Uh-nuh-bah," Takeshi answered, one hand still tightly gripped around his mother's shirt as he laid up contentedly against her chest.

"Well, alright then." Dr. Mizuno smiled, managing to get the little one to exchange a few more 'words' with her while she finished looking him over and looked back to Setsuna. "The bruising occurred in the last few hours, so he is probably going to look worse before he looks better. I will prescribe him some pain medication in case it starts to bother him, but physically, he should be fine." Due to the potential protest involved, she didn't get a weight for him but settled for visual observation. "With his verbal abilities, we could put him around 18 months, but he is a bit small, so we'll put him… maybe closer to 14 months and say he is just a little advanced."

"Mom, can you get him listed in the hospital's computer system… and get him a birth certificate?" Ami wondered, her mind trying to go over what things might possibly be needed.

"Of course. We can get all that taken care of today. We will need an explanation for these bruises though… something other than 'he was in a battle.' Perhaps… a car accident might work. Does he have a father in the picture? Someone who is going to fill that role?"

Setsuna had to think this over. It was true she had no significant other at the moment. And although Haruka had filled the 'father' role for Hotaru, that had been an entirely different situation. Hotaru came to see both Setsuna and Michiru as equally sharing the 'mother' role, but Takeshi was not Hotaru. Takeshi clearly pegged Setsuna as his mother and not Michiru, and calling Haruka the father in that situation would be a little bit odd. "No, just me and his aunts."

"Alright." Dr. Mizuno rose to her feet. "If you will wait here, I will get all this set up in the computer. There is one more thing I would like to discuss before you leave."

"Thank you." Setsuna gave both Ami and her mother a smile as they left the room to effectively 'create' an identity for her apparently 14-month-old son. Between the two of them, Michiru and Setsuna managed to get the child dressed again and began to discuss necessary details for the rest of their shopping day while the two 'Mizunos' were busy.

All things considered though, it really wasn't that long before the two women returned, paperwork in hand. Dr. Mizuno handed over a copy of a birth certificate making Takeshi right at fourteen and a half months of age with 'Meioh Setsuna' as the mother and 'Meioh Takeshi, Sr.' as the father. Beneath that was some paperwork showing a hospital stay for Takeshi and his father following a car crash, the latter of which had died from sustained injuries and the former of which had been discharged into the care of his mother. It would be enough to hopefully explain both the child's injuries as well as his apparent fear of leaving his mother's presence.

"…I am a little worried about his fear and clinginess, however. It is perfectly natural for him to be frightened this soon after the event, but we don't want this developing into full-blown separation anxiety or PTSD." Dr. Mizuno explained. "For now though, just keep an eye on him and bring him back once he is healed up so we can make sure his shots are current."

Takeshi's eyes went wide at this, as he declared emphatically, "NO! No shot! NO shot!"

"No, not today; next time." Dr. Mizuno told him; the dirty scowl Takeshi gave her, with his nose all crinkled up caused the doctor to chuckle. Dr. Mizuno looked back to Michiru and Setsuna. "We will see if he hasn't started to improve on his own by the time I see you again."

"That sounds fine," Setsuna nodded as she got to her feet, child still in hand and clasping hold of the front of her shirt anxiously. "Thank you."

"We really appreciate everything," Michiru continued gratefully. Even if they weren't really her own by birth, Michiru really did love kids and was looking forward to helping raise one that would not be half-grown and ready for middle school within a few months' time. Hotaru had grown up so very fast and she had been such a sweet baby. It was a shame it couldn't last.

Ami thanked her mother and hugged her neck before following Setsuna and Michiru outside. She was sure to remind them that the rest of the girls would be dying to see the new baby as well and encouraged them to meet up with them all later on. At that very moment, however, she was just going to make it in time for her lunch date with Yasou, her boyfriend of one year. After their not-quite-by-chance meeting back when she was fourteen-years-old, it had taken the shy couple almost four years to move from 'enemies' to 'friends' to 'very good friends' before he asked her out. But, they were taking things at their own gentle pace and… that was just how she liked it.

* * *

Setsuna and Michiru had lunch plans of their own. They were going to one more shop before meeting up with Haruka for a late lunch at Makoto's little bakery and diner, and continuing the last leg of their shopping trip. The quaint little shop had opened only a few months prior with the help of a small 'loan' from her long-standing boyfriend and 'business partner,' Masato. He came by at the end of the day and occasionally during down times to help take care of the 'business' side of things so Makoto could focus primarily on her cooking and her customers.

The combination bakery and diner had a comfortable, homey feel. Various fresh plants and greenery laid strategically about almost gave the feel of sitting in your own private garden, even if you had chosen to dine indoors. The front door of the diner gave a little 'ding' as Setsuna and Michiru entered to find Haruka already waiting for them at one of the tables. Michiru smiled, sliding into the seat directly next to her, while Setsuna took the one across. "Ruka!" Takeshi announced, a sound of relief in his voice, as if he had wondered if he would see her again.

Haruka blinked and then grinned, "He knows my name."

"Ruka," Takeshi repeated again. "Pbttt!" The babe stuck his tongue out and razzed her and then laughed, as though this was some kind of great game he was playing with her. Haruka smirked while the other two women laughed over the gesture. It was really the first sign he'd shown that he was familiar with anyone but his mother, well, aside from the noticeable fact that Haruka and Michiru seemed to be the only ones whose added presence didn't cause him to hide his face.

"Haruka. Michiru. Setsuna!" Hurrying over to the table was Makoto, who noticed the trio enter the diner with the new baby and just had to come over and see. "Ami told us about Setsuna's new baby; Takeshi, right? He's so cute! Did you know he was coming?" Kino Makoto knelt down to look the baby in the eyes. "Hi there. I'm your Aunt Makoto."

"Uh-h…" Takeshi whined and hid his face shyly against his mother's chest.

Smiling, Setsuna rubbed her son's back gently. "No, it was a bit of a surprise."

"I guess you don't get many of those." Makoto remarked with a grin, still trying unsuccessfully to get the baby to look at her. Takeshi wasn't having it though and kept his face hidden against Setsuna's blouse. "So, what can I get for you three?" she wondered finally, giving up on getting Takeshi's attention and looking back to the other women. Makoto scribbled the orders for the three women on her pad, promising to cook the meals up and bring them out herself.

As Makoto turned to head back to the kitchen, baby Takeshi turned his attentions out the café window. After a few minutes of quiet watching, he saw something that caught his interest and decided he wanted a closer look. "Uuh!" He fussed and struggled against Setsuna's grip until she relented and let him stand up and stare out the window, his little hands placed eagerly against the glass. Many people were passing back and forth on their to various shopping destinations. Occasionally, a couple or small group would stop to chat on the sidewalk.

Amongst those who stopped were Santorin Masato, the boyfriend and business partner of Kino Makoto, and a young man he clearly knew well enough to stop and chat for a while. It was right about this time, Takeshi started to get excited and smack his hands against the window. Setsuna managed to stop him for a moment, but as soon as she went back to talking, he would start up again. They played this game two or three times, until Setsuna finally pulled him back in her lap about the time Masato finished speaking with his friend and turned to enter the diner. But, Takeshi was still was still struggling to get back to the window. "Uuh… uuh…" The babe struggled and fussed until he finally let out an emphatic, "Dada!"

The declaration startled the three women so their heads snapped around towards the window. Setsuna lost her grip on the babe and he toddled his way back over to the window and placed his little hands up against the glass. "Dada! Dada! Dada!" he called out, trying in vain to get his father's attention while his mother and 'aunts' attempted to follow his gaze out into the bustling crowd, to figure out which person it was the child claimed as his "Dada." Once his father was out of his sites, the babe dropped back onto his behind and started bawling, so Setsuna spent the rest of the time until their food arrived, quieting and comforting the distraught babe. In fact, it wasn't until he took interest in the food on his mother's plate that he fully quit his fussing.

* * *

Late afternoon found the small family back and home and setting up the nursery baby Takeshi would have as his new home in the years to come. With some work, they had finally managed to convince the child to disconnect from his mother and play on the floor with Haruka while his mother used her design sense and 'Aunt Michiru's' assistance to complete the nursery. Haruka, meanwhile, was attempting to convince the baby that Hotaru *was* in fact part of the family.

Takeshi would have none of it, however, and kept declaring, "Not 'Taru! Not 'Taru!" He seemed to think "Ruka" had either gone nuts or was playing a game with him. It was hard to tell which one it was as he kept shaking his head and going, "Not 'Taru!"

Hotaru groaned, "Why does he recognize you guys and not me?"

"You did look a bit different in the future that I saw." Michiru smiled as she hung Takeshi's tiny clothes up in the closet. "It is only his first day in the past; he will figure it out."

"Different how?" Hotaru wondered, as her new 'brother' used her as a prop to get on his feet and toddle off after a toy car Haruka had sent skidding across the carpet.

"I did not get a very good look, but… you were older and your hair was a good bit longer."

"I *had* thought about growing my hair out…" Hotaru remarked thoughtfully, fingers threading back through her still shoulder-length black hair. It was the same style she had worn since she was a 'little girl' and at 16 years of age, the high school student was getting tired of it. There was so much more one could *do* with longer hair. Loosing herself in thought for a few moments, the teenager's grew more and more distant until she found herself seeing something else entirely.

From a distance, the city of Tokyo could be seen laid out across the landscape. Beneath the night sky and a beautiful full moon, the lights of the city twinkled and danced like the stars in the sky above. All was peaceful, at least for a moment, before changes started to disrupt the peace of the area. All of a sudden, all the lights in the city went out, leaving the entire city engulfed in darkness. Out of the sky, a single star fell, shifting as it did so into a meter than came down and crashed directly into a citizen standing below. A second star fell… and another… and another… and another… each one transforming into a meter than crashed into someone standing below. A sense of fear swept across the land, sweeping through the people watching it down below.

About halfway through the 'show,' however, the meters on the ground began to burst open. As each one broke open, the person who had been hit by it reappeared, a color from one of the planets surrounding them like an aura. The meters finally stopped but the lights continued to spread. Further and further the twinkling lights spread, until the entire city was lit up with them and all the lights began to join together in a single white light that covered the ground below. The light grew brighter… and brighter… sinking into the ground and creating what appeared to be a massive earthquake that shook the entire city at its foundation.

The earthquake was so powerful, the earth itself began to split… pulling the city apart at its seams. Further and further apart the city spread, creating a large hole directly in the center of the city. From out of this 'hole,' the white tip of what appeared to be a number of crystal spheres rose up. Up and up and up they rose, until they revealed themselves as what they really were: the top towers of a beautiful white crystal palace. The palace came up even with the rest of the surface and the earthquake stopped. Finally, out of the center, King Endymion and Neo-Queen Serenity stepped out. Everything grew still and peaceful, the lights of the city twinkling back on and the people below returning to their lives.

"Hotaru. Hotaru." It was the sound of Haruka's concerned voice calling out her name, the feel of her hand heavy on her shoulder, that finally snapped Hotaru out of her vision.

Violet eyes blinked slowly a few times, returning to reality and finding her 'Papa' and both of her Mamas surrounding her, looking at her with concern. Smiling in order to reassure them, she explained. "It's coming…"

"What's coming, Hotaru?" Michiru questioned her.

"Our kingdom is getting ready to be reborn," Hotaru explained, earning a surprised silence from her three parents. While the older three looked at each other in stunned silence, Hotaru turned to meet the confused gaze of her new "little brother."

The little boy's green eyes appeared perplexed, looking from Hotaru to Michiru and then back again. His little face contorted, his nose crinkling up in that way it did when he was annoyed by something. Finally, he stated flatly, "Not 'Taru" and went back to playing with his toys.

Hotaru just sighed.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Well, here it is: the first update for "My Child of Time." I hope you enjoy it and I hope it was worth the wait. For those of you reading both my stories, my next update will be one for "My Shitennou." I know a number of you are waiting for it. If you have a few moments, please take the time to review this story and let me know what you think. :-)


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